Condition Compliance Program

Condition Compliance General Information

The Planning Division’s Condition Compliance Team seeks to maintain compliance with conditions of approval that are approved with land use permits in the unincorporated areas of Ventura County. The Condition Compliance Team is committed to a high level of customer service and prompt resolution of condition compliance issues whenever possible.

There are two types of land use permits that the County of Ventura Planning Division issues: ministerial permits (commonly referred to as “over-the-counter” permits) and discretionary permits, which are subject to an environmental review, public hearing, and conditions of approval. It is the intent of the Condition Compliance Program to work with the residents, tenants, and businesses owners of Ventura County to maintain a safe and desirable living and working environment through compliance with approved conditions of approval.

Condition Compliance Officers only inspect sites with an active and approved discretionary permit. Conditional use permits and planned development permits are two types of discretionary permits commonly monitored through the Condition Compliance Program. Enforcement of County codes and ordinances on other sites is coordinated by the County Code Compliance Division or may fall under the jurisdiction of other County departments such as the Grading Division, Environmental Health Division, the Fire Protection District, or the Watershed Protection District.

In accordance with Section 8114-3.5 of the County’s Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance and Section 8183-5.5 of the County’s Coastal Zoning Ordinance and dependent on staff resources, all discretionary permits issued by the County of Ventura are subject to review no less than once every three years, unless the terms of the permit require more frequent site inspections. Thus, standard policy is to conduct a comprehensive condition compliance review of existing permits every three years, as staffing allows.

The permit holder is referred to as the “permittee” since they are responsible for following the requirements and conditions of approval of the permit. If the property is sold, the planning entitlement runs with the land, and the new property owner (or permittee) is responsible for maintaining compliance with the permit.

In addition to periodic monitoring of conditions, the Condition Compliance Team responds to requests from the public to investigate concerns on sites with active discretionary permits. Where a violation of a condition of approval is identified, Condition Compliance Officers work with the permittee to gain voluntary compliance.

Where voluntary compliance is not feasible, an enforcement process is initiated. In some cases, a Notice of Violation may be issued and a Notice of Non-Compliance recorded against the property. This Notice provides a description of the violation, the code violated, a deadline to comply, and describes the actions required to resolve the violation. The Notice remains recorded until the violation is resolved. For egregious violations where adequate progress is not being made, civil penalties may be issued for up to $1,000 per day per violation.

What are "Conditions of Approval"?

Conditions of approval are restrictive requirements that are applied to planning permits and adopted at the time the project is reviewed and approved by the decision-making body. These conditions are enforced at various stages of the development life cycle to ensure project compliance with state and local laws. Some are addressed before a structure is occupied and are completed early in the development process; others are implemented later, such as when a business opens. Ongoing conditions of approval may be operational requirements or site-specific approvals related to landscaping, parking, or signage. Operational conditions continue to apply to the use as long as it exists unless written specifically to expire. For example, a condition that limits the business hours of a use would be considered an operational condition. Other examples include requirements to maintain the minimum number of parking spaces for customers and employees on a site or maintaining landscaping consistent with an approved landscape plan. If a permittee wishes to amend any of their conditions of approval, they must apply to the Planning Division for a permit modification.

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a state law that requires projects to disclose potential environmental impacts. Proposed projects are assessed to determine if there will be a significant impact on the environment. Projects that may have significant impacts may reduce their impact to a “less than significant” threshold by implementing a Mitigation Monitoring & Reporting Program (MMRP). The MMRP incorporates mitigation measures specific to the project and are monitored at specified time intervals by the Planning Division. This may include providing reports on a consistent basis throughout the duration of the MMRP.

What are Annual Reporting Requirements?

Some discretionary projects are required to submit annual reports to the Condition Compliance team for a defined period of time. Examples of these reports include tree reports, habitat restoration reports, and event reports.

Permittees subject to these requirements may submit annual reports to Condition Compliance staff for review by email. Questions regarding annual reporting can be directed to Christy Huynh Condition Compliance Officer, at (805) 654-3327 or Christy.Huynh@ventura.org.

How Do I File a Complaint?

The Condition Compliance Team maintains and improves the quality of our community through the administration of a fair and unbiased enforcement program. All complaints are taken seriously and processed in accordance with established County procedures.

Complaints are investigated by the Condition Compliance Team if you answer “Yes” to these two questions:

Is your complaint regarding a site located in unincorporated Ventura County? Review the GIS viewer to determine if the property is located in the unincorporated county. County staff has no authority to enforce regulations on sites located within cities. And,
Is your complaint related to violations of conditions of approval for an active planning discretionary permit on the property?

If you answer “No” to the second question, the County Code Compliance Division will investigate your complaint. To file a complaint with the Code Compliance Team, click here.

If you answered “Yes” to both questions, complaints may be filed with the Planning Division in any of the following ways:

Submit an online complaint here
Mail your signed Complaint Form to Condition Compliance Program, Planning Division, 800 S. Victoria Ave, L#1740 Ventura, CA 93009-1740;
Drop off your signed Complaint Form at the Planning Division public counter weekdays between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM; or
Complete the online complaint form found here and email your electronic Complaint Form to condition.compliance@ventura.org

Complainants should provide as much information as possible. The more detail that is provided, the more readily the matter can be addressed. Complainants may add supplemental pages to the basic complaint form and include photographs, diagrams of the site, and/or logs of dates and times when the alleged violation(s) occurred.

It is important that complainants provide their names, mailing addresses, and phone numbers so Condition Compliance staff can contact them if there are questions about their complaints. Anonymous complaints will not be investigated.

If you have any questions regarding a submitted complaint, please contact Condition Compliance Officer Christy Huynh at (805) 654-3327 or by email at Christy.Huynh@ventura.org.